possible
to get a gathering like this. The world, the Flesh, the Devil, the
Antichrist, will have almost absolute sway, and if any of us will live
to God, we must be prepared to suffer the direst persecution, and all
the horrors of the Great Tribulation, with its thousands of martyrs,
will be the portion of those who will cleave to God, and flout
Antichrist."

A deep, sullen growl, like that of some huge savage beast, rose here
and there from a number of dissenters to these predictions.

Ralph lifted his head proudly, and fearlessly for his God, as he cried:

"There rises the first growl of the slumbering demon of Antichrist,
which, only too soon, shall possess almost the whole world. Soon, a
year, or two, less than that, doubtless. Antichrist will dominate the
earth's peoples. None will be able to trade, to buy or sell, unless
they bear on their forehead or their _right_ hand, the Mark of the
Beast. What will that mark be? I cannot tell. I do not know, no one
save Antichrist, and the Devil who has incarnated him, can as yet know,
I think."

Again that growl rose from the throats of some of the listeners. This
time it was deeper, fuller more voices joined in it, and the savage
note was more pronounced.

Suddenly, a mighty roar of thousands of voices, mingled with the blare
of brass instruments penetrated into the building from the street.
There followed, instantly, a general rising to their feet, and a rush
of the people to the exits. The crush at the exits was terrible.
Screams of women mingled with the hoarse cursings of men--men who had
never uttered an oath before, found their mouth filled with hideous,
blasphemous oaths. It was as if the very devil himself had suddenly
possessed the crowd.

Ralph found himself alongside the Secretary of the church, the man who
had preceded him in speaking. The pair watched and listened for a
moment while noisily, slowly, painfully the people passed out of the
building.

Involuntarily there sprang to Ralph's lips, and, before he realized it,
he was uttering the words:

"The whole herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and was
choked."

The two men were strangers, yet as they turned and faced each other, by
some common impulse they clasped hands. For one instant it looked as
though each would have spoken. Then, as though some strange power had
tied their tongues, they moved on silently, side by side, down the wide
aisle of the church, and passed